As of: February 21, 2024, 5:46 a.m
By: Lara-Sabrina Kiehl
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In a TikTok clip, two cats say goodbye to each other forever.
The moment gets under your skin, but what happens afterwards?
How do cats actually grieve?
When the day comes and the beloved cat closes its eyes forever, there is a gap in the owners' hearts.
After all, your four-legged friend is often part of the family, a companion or even your best friend for many years.
But it's not just people who are saddened by this loss.
Animals are also increasingly being observed mourning the loss of their fellow animals.
And their fine antennae apparently sense in advance when it's time to say goodbye.
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Touching video shows cats saying goodbye
At least that's exactly what it looks like with TikTok
user @vanessaf0307 's cat siblings Lilo and Stitch
.
The owner shows off her two velvet paws as they snuggle up close and nudge each other.
She writes that it is her cat's last day on earth and that she has taken his sister with her so that she can say goodbye to him.
She had previously received the dreaded call from the vet.
Coping with grief and what happens in the body
After Stitch was released from his suffering and the owner and cat sister were able to say goodbye, they now have to deal with grief.
Find out here what three ways pet owners can deal with the loss.
But how do cats actually mourn and what happens in their bodies when they mourn?
Whether animals have feelings similar to those of humans has long been controversial.
Today, however, researchers assume that they can make friends and mourn familiar fellow creatures just like us bipeds.
Studies show that dogs visibly mourn the loss of other dogs.
Just like humans, animals react to grief with stress.
This can be recognized by an increased cortisol content in the blood.
Cats, however, cannot cry when they are sad or in pain, like we humans do.
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How cats deal with grief for their fellow cats
Cats can mourn a lost companion.
(Symbolic image) © Pond 5 Images/Imago
When separated or losing a partner, cats may show signs of grief, including changing eating habits, restlessness, meowing, self-harming behavior and withdrawal.
Dealing with loss varies from person to person and depends on character, genetics and cat breed.
It is advisable to give the remaining cat the opportunity to say goodbye to the deceased animal in order to understand and bring closure to the situation.
A cat mom caused a stir
on
TikTok with her surprising reaction to her late son's ashes.
The grieving process in cats is similar in certain aspects to human grieving behavior and can be roughly divided into three phases.
Moment of shock
In the first phase there is often a moment of shock, followed by a search behavior for the missing companion, as if the cat does not want to acknowledge the changed life situation.
Comprehension of the loss
In the second phase, the bereaved animal experiences various individual feelings, including inner withdrawal, disinterest, listlessness, insufficient food intake, lack of personal hygiene, sleep disorders, refusal to play, impatience, increased aggressiveness, uncleanliness and destructiveness.
The feline immune system can be compromised, leading to recurrent infections or worsening of chronic diseases.
Acceptance and continuing to live
In the third phase, the grieving cat gradually accepts the changed life situation, increasingly seeks contact with the remaining companions and builds new social bonds with people and animals in its environment.
TikTok community deeply touched
The TikTok clip by @vanessaf0307 clearly shows how moving the topic of saying goodbye is.
The video has been viewed over 6.6 million times so far.
The users are deeply touched, which they express in over 10,000 comments.
Here is a small selection.
“My cat mom heart is bleeding 😭.”
"I'm so scared of this day... it's already breaking my heart 😭😭😭😭😭."
“🥺Animals are so pure, lovely creatures💝 I love them sooo much!
I wish everyone so much strength in these difficult times!”
“I have 3 cats...nothing can ever prepare me for this moment 😭.”
“'Live happily without me, okay?
I'll watch over you, and I'm sorry I can't go bird hunting with you tomorrow.'”
“Being connected to an animal is great until it’s time to leave.
It hurts so much."
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.